The JML product you said you used doesn't actually contain wax however the company does have a product that is a wax. The resistant locking gel is mostly protein and preservatives so don't freak out on the girl who suggested it as an alternative to wax.

I'm pretty sure that it was the combination of depositing product on the hair and hard water. Hard water makes a lot of products leave a residue.

Thanks for the replies guys! As soon as DemeterGray pointed out that the 'gel' contained wax I trashed that biz. It has also taken an unbelievable amount of self control to not go nut-zo on the girl who suggested the product [the same girl I must have told a billion times that wax is the devil] Honestly I feel conned... I trusted her to help guide my 'do on the right path and she led me astray... Ive soaked my head a few times and so far it is feeling MUCH better but I know time will heal. I have to admit the past few days have been low for me... I have high points where i think im the coolest person I know, and think Ive made the best decision for me with dreads and other days [like today] I think WTH am I doing? and then look in the mirror and see my giant red fuzzy dreadfro and feel like a goober. My husband has been super supportive - I guess im impatient and feeling goobery. I am not going to make any hasty decisions tho...

stop the gel and stop re-tnr ing

just leave it alone if it falls apart..let it yiur nit helping by messingwith it its only been 3 weeks they will fall apsrt

let em

Definitely cut out the locking gel. It's the only product in your hair and therefore what is leaving a residue. The dreadlock shampoo works in hard water.

Also, no more re-TnRing please! I know for a fact (since mine were TnR and are approaching 3 months old) that they will loosen up or even come completely undone but, if you keep TnRing them you will be essentially resetting progress because they will just loosen up again.

I left mine alone and they loosened up while some came completely unraveled. They did start to re-knot by the end of 1 month. Now I have awesome looks and some of mine are starting to "look" like dreadlocks.

Remember, "less is best" and "patience is a virtue" when it comes to natural hairstyles. Good luck and, if the residue doesn't come out I suggest looking into the neutragena anti-residue shampoo to get it cleaned out. A lot of people say the BS/ACV doesn't work in hard water either. You can boil the water before making your mix or get a filter for your shower head to get past that though.

My lovely, it is the wax. I bought the SAME exact thing and tried to use it on my baby dreads before I realized what a terrible mistake I had made. Wax accumulates and weighs down the hair, it can also lead to mold and mildew in the center of your dreads. Before you do anything else, please please please please please, get that wax out. Use apple cider vinegar... actually SE has a post on super clean dreads (even baby ones) and there's a section specifically for dealing with wax. Get that stuff out asap! As far as shampoo, just a simple one like Prell works amazingly well, it's what I use on my hair. Having hard water can lead to mineral deposits, which means your wax might have grabbed onto some of those mineral deposits... if acidic water/treatments (i.e. apple cider vinegar) dry hair and enable it to lock better and clean it really well, think of your hair like a coffee pot, every so often you have to de-lime it to get the gunk out, that's not with every case, but especially with wax. If you put it on only once and you were sparing with it, then just keep washing, it WILL come out eventually (it happened to me, but now I am wax free and my hair is SO much better off) and don't lose faith or courage.